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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
Jeremiah the prophet - like every true prophet - spoke from God and spoke for God - and his words came true. This is what marks him out as a true prophet.
Deuteronomy 18 verse 22 . The mark of a true prophet - and the mark of a false prophet. Beware of the man who says something is going to happen and it does not.
1. The prophet is key to what God is saying to the Church or to the world. The prophet reveals or interprets what God is doing in the world - or what he is about to do. We must take care not to lose the KEY - or to throw away the KEY. These people did – and they did it again in Jesus’ day.
2. Jeremiah wanted to give up or give in - before he even started. He wanted to shrink back - to slip away. That can be a good sign – but he could not slip away because there was a fire burning in his bones.
3. The prophet cannot keep silent - it can be most disturbing to have a prophet around - especially is this true where sin abounds. He upsets - disturbs - challenges - shakes. You see him coming and he reminds you of GOD.
4. The prophet cannot tolerate injustice - hypocrisy - falsehood - oppression.
5. The prophet is ever seeking to please GOD. Jesus in His Prophetic Ministry always sought to please the Father. Jesus is called ‘the Prophet’.
Jeremiah pleased God - as did John the Baptist and Peter and Paul.
How a man of God is called is important - what God says to him is important - and how he reacts to that and how people respond to his ministry are important. Consider how the disciples responded to being called by Jesus - and men like Zacchaeus and Paul - there is a positive response.
Jeremiah prophesied for some 45 years - it was as though he was building a wall for God - brick by brick - stone by stone - as the visions and words and pictures tumble out.
Jeremiah kept on doing this through all kinds of attacks and trials and tribulations and troubles and imprisonment. Regularly, vandals would come along and try to break down the wall he was building for God. Jeremiah kept on going - ministering - and speaking out - because he knew he was called and chosen by the living God.
He is predestined to carry out this role. He predicts what is going to happen. He also knows God will protect him God can deliver those whom He calls.
In Jeremiah, we see God’s Omnipotence - He is all Powerful. God’s Omniscience - God is all knowing. His Omnipresence - God is with you at all times, and on all occasions.
God had taken the time to plan Jeremiah’s life - even before he was born. We learn that from these opening verses. God knows how He is going to use Jeremiah - His method is going to be - using pictures - and rhyming words - and using things with which Jeremiah and the people would be familiar. Jeremiah draws lessons from them.
Verse 11 . What do you see? An almond tree. He sees the branch of an almond tree that is coming into bud. Now - this is the first to blossom in spring - and the blossom comes before the leaves - it is a sign of spring in Israel - the awakening of Creation after winter. Things are coming alive again. In Israel it is called ‘the waker tree’. And God speaks about ‘waking’ and watching. What do you see? Jeremiah can you see that I am about to spring into action? God was alert - watching - awake - and, going to act. A very simple picture. Jesus used very simple pictures too. The branch to some looked dead - but now it was all going to come alive - in front of Jeremiah’s eyes. This is underlined in his call.
Verse 13 . The word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah once again - “What do you see?” Are you seeing all this Jeremiah? Are you seeing what I am revealing to you? Do you see what I am showing you?
He writes it all down. He records it - to show the people - to show us - how God is speaking to him - and how God continues to speak to him - throughout the entire book - providing material for prophesying - providing pictures for proclamation and preaching.
What do you see? And in the dying embers of a fire, he sees a cauldron - a boiling pot - and as it spills over steam arises - and scalding steam is terrible - dangerous - harmful - damaging - causing serious burns. He sees all this - so simple yet so profound. And he risks speaking it out. But - what does it mean?
Jeremiah - the enemies of Judah are going to boil over into your country. Nations from the north are going to invade Israel - and they did - and that takes us on to the time of Daniel.
God allowed this - God permitted this to happen - and the nations who came were known as vandals. That is where we get the word - vandals or vandalism.
God gives His reasons for allowing this to happen to His chosen People.
1. They have forsaken God.
2. They have gone after other gods.
3. They now worship the work of their own hands. You have turned from Me and are worshipping what you make.
Today we are swamped by secularism - materialism - humanism - various manifestations of the occult - and it has been said that one great ‘idol’ today is ‘peace’. We too need to hear clearly from God.
Jeremiah must have shown that he was a bit apprehensive at having to preach this - a bit afraid. Jeremiah knows he has to go into the streets of Jerusalem and proclaim this Word from God. He knows he has to tell bad news to people who won’t believe it.
Verse 17 is very strong! This is where the protection of God comes in - and the omnipresence of God. “I am with you and will rescue you.” If we are afraid of people - God will make us ashamed in front of people.
Verse 18 I will make you a fortress - don’t fear them - fear Me. You will either look a fool or a fortress. That is the choice which God sometimes gives us - particularly those who are called to a prophetic ministry. You will be like a fortified city with iron pillars - and with a bronze wall. When everybody is against you, I will be with you.
Jesus found this type of reaction to His Ministry- and also this kind of presence from the Father and the Holy Spirit.
The Word is - God will deliver us - Jesus will rescue us - provided we stand. Otherwise, we can expect no supernatural intervention. When God unmistakably tells you and gives you a word and commands you - giving you a clear message - the wrestling has to stop - the arguing has to cease - and you have to go and speak. We have a very limited choice at time - to rebel or obey.
On the Day of Pentecost, the Church took on the role of the prophethood of all believers - speaking to men from God - and speaking to men for God.
Jeremiah saw things - understood the significance - and paid the price. Jesus would speak about seed - soil - sheep - a coin - a son - and use these prophetically.
The fire was now burning in Jeremiah’s bones - 5 : 14,20 : 9 and 23 : 29.
The Holy Spirit’s power and anointing was upon Jesus following his baptism in the Jordan River - and Luke tells us that Jesus is the one who would baptise us with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Timid Timothy’s need to know that the essential anointing and necessary equipping continue to be available today for every disciple of Jesus.
“Gracious God – we thank You that you provide all we need to serve and minister with courage and boldness – remaining faithful to Your Word – even at a time when many appear to depart far from what You have revealed and said in the Scriptures. Help us to read and study and understand and obey – in Jesus’ Name.” Amen.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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